Camera IconRod Bridge, whose son Preston died after taking synthetic LSD, and Christie Scott, who lost her son Corey De Bie after he took the synthetic drug N-Bomb, are joining forces to help educate youngsters about the dangers of these drugs. Picture: Justin Benson-CooperPicture: PerthNow

WA parents raise awareness of synthetic drug dangers after death of sons

Kate Campbell, PerthNowMarch 19, 2017 5:55PM

ROD Bridge and Christie Scott are members of a club no one wants to be part of.

They both lost their teenage sons to the curse of synthetic drugs, almost exactly four years apart, and are now joining forces in a bid to ensure no other parents experience the pain they know all too well.

They met last month when Mr Bridge attended the funeral of Ms Scott’s 19-year-old son Corey De Bie, who died only hours after taking the synthetic drug N-Bomb.

In February 2013, Mr Bridge’s 16-year-old son Preston was celebrating after his school ball when he fell from a balcony in Scarborough.

Preston, who would have turned 21 last week, had taken synthetic LSD, which altered his mind so much his friends later told his family it appeared he was fluently speaking a different language before his death though the Churchlands schoolboy didn’t know another language.

Mr Bridge has since made it his mission to shut down as much of this killer trade as he can and expose the dangers of synthetic drugs flooding into Australia from countries such as China.

He set up a not-for-profit program, Sideffect, to spread awareness and has just started giving hard-hitting presentations to schools that include photos of Preston in hospital on life support, footage of violent and scary behaviour of the drug-affected and examples of what can be found in drugs such as methamphetamine, including rat poison, phosphorous, hydrochloric and battery acid and anti-freeze.

He revealed some students have come up to him after his presentation and admitted they could buy synthetic cannabis at their local deli.

Camera IconRod Bridge, whose son Preston died after taking synthetic LSD, and Christie Scott, who lost her son Corey De Bie after he took the synthetic drug N-Bomb, are joining forces to help educate youngsters about the dangers of these drugs. Picture: Justin Benson-CooperPicture: PerthNow

“We’re not saying don’t do it. We’re saying make an informed choice,” he said.

“The reality is in the education system there’s nothing happening. No one’s doing anything and that’s the part that bothers me.”

Talking to schools is something Ms Scott is keen to be involved in, and wants to bring her son’s grieving friends with her to speak to other teenagers. As well as wanting to do her bit to stop the dealers and users playing “Russian roulette”, she is pleading with the youth to “look after your mates”.

“In both our situations, our sons were alone (when they died),” said Ms Scott, who has two other children aged nine and three.

“At night I am in a heap but during the day I can keep it strong.”

Sideffect is in dire need of funding, being run by a handful of parents who don’t get paid and who have poured in $260,000 of their own money.

Mr Bridge hopes the new Labor Government, with its strong anti-drug stance, will financially support this program to take it to the next level.